Guest Column
- Break With the Party, and
Vote Yes
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- By Cesar V. Conda
Senate Republicans should not vote along party lines against Judge Sotomayor’s nomination. There is nothing in her record or sworn testimony that disqualifies her for the Supreme Court, and certainly nothing that would justify a party-line “no” vote from Senate Republicans.
We need to fix the G.O.P.’s Hispanic problem, or we could find ourselves on the losing end of future presidential elections.
Those who opposed her nomination used a few speeches and cases to paint her as an extreme judicial activist. While Judge Sotomayor is not a strict constructionist, her views are well within the judicial mainstream; in fact, some of her rulings are considered too conservative by some liberal lobbying groups.
Granted, many Republicans are legitimately concerned about judicial activism and upholding the rule of law. But let’s face it, elections have consequences, and Republicans did not win the White House. Did anyone expect President Obama to nominate another John Roberts or Samuel Alito or even an Anthony Kennedy? The Senate should confirm the president’s judicial nominees, unless there is something in their views or record that disqualifies them.
On the question of wooing Hispanics, tone matters in politics, and a Republican party-line vote against Judge Sotomayor could send a message that Hispanics aren’t welcome in our party. A 2007 Almanac of Latino Politics poll found that more Hispanics than the electorate as whole identified themselves as conservatives. But we lost their vote in the 2008 presidential election by a more than 2 to 1 margin.
We need to fix our party’s Hispanic problem, or we could find ourselves on the losing end of presidential elections for the foreseeable future. A party-line, or near party-line, vote against the first Latina Supreme Court nominee won’t help the G.O.P.’s image among Hispanic voters.
Cesar V. Conda was the domestic policy assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney from 2001 to 2003. He was also a policy adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign.
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